A message to our customers
Dear Valued Customer,
On Friday, 10 October, we formally completed the acquisition of Alliance &
Leicester International. It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Santander Group.
You are now part of one of the world’s most successful banks. Santander
is first bank in the Eurozone by market capitalisation, and fifth in the world by profits, with over 80
million customers in 40 countries.
We are, fundamentally, a retail bank with over 13,000 branches worldwide - more
than any other international bank. Santander has already a strong presence offshore through its ownership
of Abbey International and more recently, Bradford & Bingley International.
The addition of Alliance & Leicester International will further strengthen
our offshore presence. A&L International has strength in areas where Abbey International intended to
grow and both banks have built reputations as challengers to the big banks with strong savings rates.
By becoming part of the Santander Group, Alliance & Leicester International has
acquired strong backing, which is crucial in these difficult financial times.
I am convinced that Abbey International, Alliance & Leicester International and
Bradford & Bingley International, as part of the Santander Group, will be a leading bank focused on
giving you great service and value-for-money products.
With kind regards,
Chairman, Emilio Botin